40gigs???

[Lamboracer]

Can someone tell me what is this I keep on hearing about a new harddrive for the release of GT4?

Will i need one to play the game

 

[SSJChar]

the HD isnt meant only for GT4. its an addon. and im sure you GT4 wont REQUIRE a HD, it will just be able to use it, like the broadband adapter. you dont NEED one, but it can use it.

 

[Dirkiyo]

indeed, it's not required play GT4. just search for an artivle on the net and you'll find out soon enough.

 

[Shannon]

What does the harddrive do exactly? Just eliminate the need for a memory card?

 

[Mr P510]

Think of it as a blank DVD-RW or Videotape that can hold info downloaded from the broadband adapter .

 

[SSJChar]

some games it simply lets you download replays and such, while others make it so load time is lessened. then theres games that you can actually download onto your HD. what will the HD do for GT4? no idea.

 

[amar212]

QUICK OVERVIEW OF PS2 HDD UNIT FOR NEWBIES:

- PS2 HDD unit has already been introduced in Japan, and american premiere is expected very soon (I think that release date is 23th March, together with release of Final fantasy XI game). European release date for HDD has not yet been confirmed (unsurprisingly).

- HDD unit is an 40GB hard-disk that comes in two variations, depending of the console model: as stand-alone hard-disk outside of PS2 (in Japan), or as internal hard-disk which is inserded in empty "expansion bay" slot in rear of the console. It is priced around 50$, and except the gaming, PS2 Linux users had the most benefit out of it so far.

- HDD allows you various things, as download the whole game onto it, and then play it directly from hard-disk (new Resident Evil Online, aka Biohazard Online can be a good example of it). That can make loading times faster, and I'm not sure though can game be saved onto HDD (because of strong profits that Sony is making trough memory card sales). Maybe someone from Japan could answer that.

- when thinking about GT4 support of HDD, think of it as the most important feature that has ever happen to an Gran Turismo game series. Introduction of HDD (together with online compponent trough PS2 Network / Broadband Adapter) will make so much in terms of gameplay, and preferablly - in terms of whole GT experience. As I can think right now, HDD support of GT4 will allow infinite possibilities of little details, such as: saveable car scratches on paint and chasis, tyre marks on tracks that can be saved and stored trough whole gameplay, faster loading times, much comprehensive and usable data management, infinite possibilities in replay (notice that in previous GT games you couldn't do a lot with replay because it used RAM of the console during playing; with HDD as in-game storage unit it could be possible to rewind, forward, pause, edit and so, so much...), possibility to paint-over the car after you bought it, infinite garage-storage space (with possibility to save every phuckn car in the game in all colors variations and so), and probably some things that noone can think of right now except Kazunori in terms of network / online playing.

- also notice that inclusion of HDD will maybe allow us to really download some new stuff after the game is released, including new cars and so. Notice that GT4 will probably be last Gran Turismo game on PS2, with GT5 most surely cooming out after the PS3 premiere, somewhere around 2006 (in Japan). Inclusion of HDD will allow PD to generate new content for the GT4 players, lenghtening the life cycle of the game for the next three years. I'm almost certain that recent delays of the game has beeen made in favor of including HDD support, and as far as I'm asked, that is the best thing worth of waiting.

- also notice that HDD support makes almost certain release of HDD in Europe in time of GT4 release, which makes me very happy.

- and lastly, notice the HDD support will make any kind of "Gran Turismo Network" possible because of the ability to save every possible type of data, toghether with ability to generate needed protections, profiles and so.

 

[VIPFREAK]

I have an external HD w/ USB, could I plug it into the PS2 and use it instead of the one that's coming out?

 

[RacingFreak2k3]

I hope it will be used so you can save cars in a "second garage" for GT4. I'm guessing that you won't be able to collect all the cars in the game with one garage since you could not do it in GT2. In GT3 you could becasue there were about 185 different cars, and you could hold 200. So hopefully the HDD could be used for that at least.

 

[LaBounti]

I really think 40 gigs is too much. Unless Sony has something Microsoft hasn't thought of for use.

 

[T5-R]

Yeah 40gig is a bit overkill, my XBox 10 gig HDD is noway near full even with a full music cd on it (Xbox seems to compress em to a mp3 like format too, so can probs fit many cds onto it )

Think I worked out the Xbox compressed my music CD to around 50+megs, which didn't put much of a dent in a 10gig HDD hehe, let alone 40!.

 

[Lamboracer]

How much will this harddrive cost?

 

[RacingFreak2k3]

I think it's around $100

 

[LoudMusic]

40GB is just about the smallest hard drive you can buy these days. In fact, I don't think you can get a 40GB Maxtor in a retail store anymore. They've moved on to 80GB up to 250GB.

For a game console I think 40 is about right. amar212 listed a bunch of good uses, though I don't think many of them will actually happen.

Caching game disks to hard drive for quicker loads - Won't happen.
Download new content - Will happen.
Use as a memory card - Possible, though I don't think so.

I've used a few modded XBoxes along the way, and loading games from the hard drive is probably 4x faster than loading from CD / DVD game disks. Technically it should be more like 10x faster, but computers never live up to their theoretical specs.

 

[Spin Bad]

Loud Music is right, they wont let you cache game disks because of people inevitably pirating games that way.

 

[LoudMusic]

Originally posted by Spin Bad
Loud Music is right, they wont let you cache game disks because of people inevitably pirating games that way.

There are ways they could accomplish this without having to worry about piracy. The most direct and thorough method would be to have a seperate partition for cached games that gets wiped each time the system is turned on. That way the disk would be required each time you start the game and it could cache the disk while you were playing. The longer you play at a time the fewer times you'd have to cache disks.

Or a simpler way that would allow for quicker initial starts would be to require the disk to launch the game, but after that it reads from the hard drive. Computer games are like that already. I've got Tomb Raider 4 which reads everything from the hard drive, but looks for the CD when you launch the app. There are cracks for that on computers, but that would seem to be more difficult on a console.

I think it's a good idea to cache games, but I don't think it's likely to happen. At a minimum they could cache parts of games. All the menu structures, the sounds, and the movies. Things like map data and cars could continue to be pulled from the dvd as they're only read a few times.

 

[Yazza]

Does anyone have any pics of the HDD and how its installed, can you use the network adapter & HDD at the same time? theres only 1 expansion bay? I hope you can cause itll be useless to download stuff then wouldnt, hopefully sony wouldve already thought of this, Pics please.

 

[lil_viper]

I think the network adaptor is the HDD ur talking about. My network adaptor says Hdd Right on it.

 

[lil_viper]

I got some pictures....

This one is of the network adaptor that says Hdd on it...

And these are of the other Hdd ur talking about...

 

[LoudMusic]

That's the external HDD. The internal one goes in the huge gaping hole in the back of the PS2 where the network adaptor goes.

 

[Pako]

IGN Explains:

While Sony has divulged all the details about its HDD and Ethernet adaptor, we do know that the unit will offer users with the ability to store game data, upgrades, and other information onto the hard drive, while also allowing them to use the Ethernet card to connect to the Internet via high-speed services like DSL, Cable, IDSN and other broadband alternatives that use Ethernet connectivity.

This is a picture of what the drive bay looks like on the backside of the PlayStation 2 unit. Do not use this for storing items, drugs, sandwiches or anything else not authorized by Sony Computer Entertainment.

-- Dave Zdyrko

 

[lil_viper]

****, you mean I gotta find another place for my stash?

 

[LoudMusic]

Originally posted by lil_viper
****, you mean I gotta find another place for my stash?

**pssst -- pop the case on an XBox and you'll find plenty of space. Especially after you get rid of all the useless electronics in there (:

 

[code_kev]

then replace the PS2s insides with the xboxes insides that you just tore out

give it some power for the first time in 4 years

 

[LoudMusic]

Originally posted by code_kev
then replace the PS2s insides with the xboxes

give it some power for the first time in 4 years

BLASPHEEEEEEEEM!! I will strike you down!

 

[code_kev]

ARRGGGGGGGGGG lol


http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/ninjagaiden/screens.html?page=232

was perving at new games, oo oo oo new NG looks ace

sigh another game I have to spend MORE money on

 

[LoudMusic]

Eh, if you're that close to your enemy get out a weapon that deals more damage. If you're bent on using a bow, get the heck away from your enemy.

Cool game though.

 

[code_kev]

id use a Giant comedy hammer.

 

[LoudMusic]

One that has a boxing glove that pops out when you hit a button.

 

[code_kev]

a boxing glove with a knuckle duster on the end